By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Officials say a magnitude 6.4 earthquake has shaken parts of Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. The quake sent panicked residents fleeing from their homes and offices and frightened people in remote villages in Pakistan. The U.S. Geological Survey says the earthquake was centered in the Hindu Kush mountain range in
Continue ReadingBERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has sharply condemned alleged plans by members of far-right groups who supposedly met recently at a mansion outside Berlin to devise a plot to deport millions of immigrants, even those with German citizenship, if the groups take power. Scholz said Thursday that Germany will not allow anyone living
Continue ReadingBy Anna Chernova and Amy Cassidy, CNN (CNN) — Jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny told a Moscow court of “freezing” conditions inside his prison, as he appeared via video link to outline his case against the authorities at the Siberian penal colony in which he is being held. Addressing the Supreme Court in Moscow, the opposition figure
Continue ReadingISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania have signed an agreement to jointly tackle drifting sea mines that have threatened Black Sea shipping since the start of the Ukraine war. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said Thursday the agreement establishes a Mine Countermeasures Task Group among the three NATO allies to deal with the mines.
Continue ReadingBy MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is awarding $623 million in grants to help build an electric vehicle charging network across the nation. Grants announced Thursday will fund 47 EV charging stations and related projects in 22 states and Puerto Rico, including 7,500 EV charging ports. Congress approved $7.5 billion
Continue ReadingBy Ella Nilsen, CNN (CNN) — Even as winter arrived in the East this week, with treacherous snow and an impending Arctic cold snap, much of the West is still entrenched in warm and dry conditions. It’s a sluggish and concerning start to what should be the region’s wet season and is raising concerns about
Continue ReadingBy Ella Nilsen, CNN Washington (CNN) — The Biden administration on Thursday announced over $620 million in grant funding to help counties, cities and tribes around the nation install new charging stations for electric vehicles and long-haul freight trucks. The funding, which comes from the bipartisan infrastructure law, will fund 47 projects in 22 states
Continue ReadingBy Jeremy Herb, Kara Scannell and Lauren del Valle, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump plans to attend closing arguments for his New York civil fraud trial Thursday, where the former president’s business empire in the state is at stake. Trump is not expected to speak in court, however, after Judge Arthur Engoron rejected a request
Continue ReadingReview by Brian Lowry, CNN (CNN) — Seth MacFarlane’s foul-mouthed teddy bear gets a logical scaled-down home in “Ted,” a Peacock prequel series that solves the “Why no Mark Wahlberg?” question by featuring his character as a teenager, with the wish-upon-a-star talking teddy as his only pal. Basically “ALF” with a lot more F-bombs, the
Continue ReadingBy NASSER KARIMI Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s intelligence ministry has identified a top suspect, described as ringleader and bomb-maker, in the twin suicide bombings last week claimed by the Islamic State group. Thursday’s announcement came as state media said the death toll from the Jan. 3 attack rose to at least 94.
Continue ReadingWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s president says he has started the process to once again pardon two politicians who were arrested earlier this week. The case is at the center of a standoff between Poland’s new centrist government and its conservative predecessor. The move Thursday came as thousands of supporters of Poland’s former governing Law
Continue ReadingBy ZEN SOO AP Technology Writer Google says it has laid off hundreds of employees working on its hardware, voice assistance and engineering teams as part of cost-cutting measures. The company said the moves were made as Google aims at “responsibly investing in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead.” Google earlier said
Continue ReadingBy ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher on Friday after Wall Street drifted to a mixed close. Tokyo’s benchmark extended its New Year’s rally, trading well above 35,000 and at its highest level since 1990. U.S. futures were nearly unchanged and oil prices surged. On Thursday, a U.S.
Continue ReadingBy JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s navy has seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that once was at the center of a major crisis between Tehran and Washington, a seizure that further escalates tensions in the Mideast waterways. The vessel was once known as the Suez
Continue ReadingBy KEN MORITSUGU Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — An industry association reports that China’s auto exports surged 63.7% in 2023 while sales at home rose 4.2%. The surge in exports appears likely to propel China past Japan as the world’s number one car exporter. Chinese automakers have aggressively expanded exports in search of growth missing
Continue ReadingBy HARRIET MORRIS and ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ruled out a cease-fire as his country defends itself against Russia’s invasion. He said Thursday that the Kremlin’s forces would use the pause to rearm and regroup. Limited cease-fires have occasionally been proposed since Russia launched its full-scale
Continue ReadingPARIS (AP) — A former France basketball player serving as an ambassador for the Paris 2024 Olympics has been forced to quit her role because of a controversy linked to a social media post related to the situation in Gaza. Following an urgent meeting of the Paris 2024’s board and general assembly, Emilie Gomis submitted
Continue ReadingSofía Barruti (CNN) — Fan Yifei, un exfuncionario del Banco Central de China caído en desgracia, aceptó enormes sobornos durante años, desde el comienzo de su mandato, según las acusaciones de un documental de la emisora estatal CCTV Fan, que fue uno de los altos directivos del Banco Popular de China (PBOC) de 2015 a
Continue Reading
CORVALLIS, Ore. – An international team of scientists led by Oregon State University researchers has used a novel 500-year dataset to frame a “restorative” pathway through which humanity can avoid the worst ecological and social outcomes of climate change. In addition to charting a possible new course for society, the researchers say their “paradigm shifting”
Continue ReadingBy Hilary Whiteman and Heather Chen, CNN (CNN) — Papua New Guinea was dealing with the fallout Thursday of violent riots and looting that shook the capital Port Moresby, with the prime minister vowing repercussions amid calls for his resignation and demands from China to safeguard its citizens and their businesses. Shops were looted and
Continue Reading